5 Timeless Career Tips Every Fashion Girl Should Follow

Breaking into the fashion industry is intimidating enough—trying to do so by launching your own business? Now that’s a whole other story. Don’t let the daunting idea defeat you just yet, because SoCal native Jayne Min proves it’s possible. The creative consultant, stylist, and founder of the popular website Stop It Right Now has paid her dues, climbed the career ladder, and is sharing everything she’s learned along the way. Min’s first piece of advice? Waste no time. Find things that interest you, and see if you’re able to fuse them together to make a career.

Min believes that checking the time on your phone can be way too distracting, because you’re constantly reminded of dozens of other things you need to do. “You look at your phone for the time, but there’s a notification, then your friend sends you an article, and next thing you know, you’ve already forgotten why you grabbed your phone in the first place,” explains Min. “A watch always feels like the last grown-up touch to a look. It means business.”

“Growing up, the only other thing I was into besides making clothes was skateboarding,” says Min. “I was never really any good, but I grew up in the OC skate scene and constantly hung out at skate spots. My two interests—skate and fashion—inevitably fused into a career designing apparel in the skate industry.”

“Some days I feel fortunate that I’ve been able to turn my interests into a career, and other days I wish I could partition it more,” explains Min. “They say the dream is to make a living doing what you love, but what they don’t tell you is that sometimes when you turn what you love into your bread and butter, it can take the purity and fun out of it.”

“The average, ordinary, non-fashion person inspires me. I like seeing how people who don’t look at fashion wear things; it’s usually more functional and in line with my fairly simple and masculine style,” says Min. “Because of that, I gravitate toward Nixon’s toned-down watch styles, usually a black leather band with a black or white face, because it’d pretty much go with anything I wear.” For work and personal inspiration, Min finds that her network of girlfriends is constantly motivating her to “always try harder and to not take anything for granted.”